Flushing apparatus for closets.



PATENTED FEB. 3, 1903.

F. LIGHT. FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR OLOSBTS.

APPLICATION FILI FD AUG. 11, 1902.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK LIGHT, OF LOUISVILLE, COLORADO.

FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR CLOSETS.

PECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 719,598, dated February3, 1903.

Application filed August 11l 1902. Serial No. 119,271. (No model.)

Be it known that I, FRANK LIGHT, acitizen of the United States, residingat Louisville, in the county of Boulder and State of Colo rado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Flushing Apparatus forClosets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for flushing closets,and has for its object to provide a mechanism by the use of which theopening and closing of the flushing and supply valves is controlled bythe seat.

My invention comprises a tank, which is normally empty, the valveadmitting the supply of water to the same not being opened until theseat is depressed. At the same time the flushing-valve is closed. Whenthe seat is raised, the flushing-valve opens, permitting the water toflow down into the bowl, washing out the same. Simultaneous with theopening of the flushing-valve the supplyvalve is closed, thus permittingno waste of water.

Improved details in the construction and arrangement of the severalparts of my invention will be apparent from the detailed descriptionhereinafter and the appended claims when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is avertical section of my apparatus, showing the position of the severalparts when the flushing-valve is open. Fig. 2 is a similar view when theflushing-valve is closed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of thesupply-valve.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the closet-bowl is indicated indotted lines at 4. I have shown only a portion of the same, as itsconstruction is well known. The seat is It is secured to the wallplate 6by spring-hinges 7, which normally retain the seat in raised position,as shown in Fig. 1. Secured to the bottom of the wallplate 6 is abracket 8, to which is pivoted at 9 a lever 10. To the lower end of thelever a chain 11 is secured. To the under side of the seat, at the rearend thereof, is secured a finger 12, which is adapted to contact withthe upper end of the lever 10 when the seat 5 is lowered and swing thesaid lever forward, as shown in Fig. 2, pulling down the chain 11.

The flushing-tank is indicated at 13 and communicates with the bowl 4 bya pipe 13. The flow of water through this pipe from the tank iscontrolled by a flushing-valve 14, opening upward. To the bottom of thisvalve the chain-11 is secured, which as it is pulled downward closessaid valve. The tank is supplied with water from a suitable source by apipe 15, communicating with the same near the top thereof. Saidsupply-pipe is provided at its mouth with a valve 16, opening inward.The opening and closing of the valve 16 is controlled bya rod 17, whichpasses loosely through brackets 18 and 18, secured to the top of thetank 13. The rear end of said rod 17 is bent downward, as indicated at17, and thereto is attached a chain 19, passing over a friction rolleror pulley 20, secured to the bracket 18, the other end of the chainbeing secured to the top of the flushing-valve 14:. The rod 17 isprovided witha collar 17", and between this collar and the bracket 18 aspiral spring 21 is placed, embracing the rod 17. The tension of saidspring tends to push the rod rearward, and thus remove its point 17 fromthe valve 16, which then closes by reason of the pressure of the waterin the pipe 15, inward movement of the valve being limited by a stop 16,located within said pipe. This is the normal position of the supplyvalve16. The rearward movement of the rod 17 described above lifts the valve14 from its seat by reason of the chain 19, connecting said parts. Thisis the normal position of said valve. The top of the tank is providedwith a small float-valve 22 to allow the escape of air from the tankwhile it is filling. This valve opens downward and is kept open by itsown weight when the tankis empty. When the tank is filling, it closes assoon as the water reaches the float 22 and opens again when the waterflows out through the flushing-valve 14.

The operation of the device is as follows: Upon lowering the seat 5 thefinger 12 engages the upper part of the lever 10, swingflows into thetank and as it reaches the float 22 of the valve 22 it closes the same.This prevents overflow of the tank. When the seat 5 returns to itsraised position, which movement is automatic by reason of thespring'hinges 7, the finger 12 is removed from the lever 10, whichallows said lever to return to its normal position. The pressure againstthe spring 21 then being removed, said spring pushes the rod 17rearward, which opens the flushing-valve 14 and empties the tank. At thesame time as the rod moves away from the supply-valve 16 said valve byreason of the pressure of the water in the pipe 15 closes, as heretoforedescribed. The valve 22 also opens, which prevents a vacuum within thetank.

By this apparatus there is no waste of water, the tank being normallyempty and not filling until the seat is depressed.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a water-closet and a seat therefor havingspring-hinges to retain the same normally in an elevated position, of atank communicating with the closet, a source of water-supply, a valvekept normally closed by the pressure of said supply, a flushing-valvefor emptying said tank, brackets secured to the top of the tank, a rodpassing through said brackets, a connection between said rod and theflushing-valve, a shoulder on the rod, a spiral spring interposedbetween said shoulder and one of the brackets for the purpose of keepingsaid rod normally out of contact with the supply-valve and allowing thesame to remain closed and to normally hold the fiushing-valve open,means carried by the seat for opening the supply-valve and closing theflushing-valve simultaneously, and a relief-valvein the tank,substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with a water-closet and a seat therefor havingspring-hinges to retain the same normallyin an elevated position, of atank communicating with the closet, a source of water-supply, a valvekept normally closed by the pressure of said supply, a valve foremptying the tank, means. for keeping said valve normally open, abracket, a lever pivoted to said bracket, a chain, one end of which issecured to the lever and the other end to the flushing-valve, aconnection between this valve and the supply-valve, means to swing therod forward closing the flushingvalve and opening the supply-valve,means to return said valves to their normal positions, and arelief-valve in the tank, substantially as shown and described.

, 3. The combination with a water-closet and a seat therefor havingspring-hinges to re tain the same normally in an elevated position, of a'tank communicating with the closet, a source of water-supply, a valvekept normally closed by the pressure of said supply, a valve foremptying the tank, means for keeping said valve normally open, abracket, a lever pivoted to said bracket, a chain, one end of which issecured to the lever and the other end to the flushing-valve, aconnection between this valve and the supply-valve, a finger secured tothe seat to engage the rod when said seat is lowered and swing the rodforward, and a relief-valve in the tank, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK LIGHT.

Witnesses:

W. T. METZ, MARTIN ZURIoH, Jr.

